espérance

Forms

espérance f (plural espérances)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French espérer + -ance.^[2][3][4][5] Littré takes it from the present participle espérant,^[6] and Wiktionary also compares Vulgar Latin spērantia, from Latin spērāns.^[1]

espérer is from Latin spērō (“to hope”); the kept ⟨s⟩ and the treatment of the vowel are due to continued contact with written Latin.^[5]

Cognate with Italian speranza, Spanish esperanza, Catalan esperança and Old Occitan esperansa.^[1][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1100 in the Chanson de Roland, in the phrase n'aveir esperance de “not to expect”: Qui de morir nen orent esperance “who did not expect to die”.^[2][6][4]

Semantic evolution

In the first half of the 12th century, in the Oxford Psalter, it took its main sense, the feeling that makes one see what one desires as likely to come true,^[2][4] and by the middle of the century it also named the person or thing on which one's hope rests.^[2][4] Christian theology made it one of the three theological virtues, with the phrase acte d'espérance for a prayer expressing it.^[4]

Phrases such as en espérance and de grande espérance have gone out of use, while contre toute espérance lives on.^[4] In the plural it meant the property one expects to inherit, and avoir des espérances also meant “to be pregnant”.^[4] In the 20th century it was taken up in statistics (espérance mathématique) and demography (espérance de vie).^[4]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – N'aveir esperance de in the Chanson de Roland.^[2][4]
• First half of 12th century – The sense “hope” appears in the Oxford Psalter.^[2]
• Mid-12th century – The Cambridge Psalter uses it of what one's hope rests on.^[2]
• c. 1170 – Désespérance is recorded.^[5]
• 20th century – Used in statistics and demography.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. hope, the feeling that what one desires will probably come true: vivre dans l'espérance.^[7][8][9]
2. (theology) Hope as one of the three theological virtues.^[9][10][4]
3. A hope for a particular thing: l'espérance d'une victoire;^[8][9][4] contre toute espérance, against all expectation.^[8][9][4]
4. A person or thing that is the object of one's hope.^[9][2]
5. (in the plural, dated) What one expects to inherit.^[8][4]
6. Espérance de vie: life expectancy.^[8][9][1]
7. (probability) expected value, espérance mathématique.^[1][4]

Related words

• espérer
• espoir
• désespérance
• désespoir
• Latin spērō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
9. ^ a b c d e f Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse